Denture for a doll



Sept. 22, 1959 J. WE lH 2,904,929

DENTURE FOR A DOLL Filed Aug. 30, 1957 INVENTOR. JULIUS WEIH isATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1959 DENTURE FOR A DOLL Julius Weih, OzonePark, N.Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N.Y., acorporation of New York Application August 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,407

9 Claims. (Cl. 46-171) This invention relates to a dolls denture and toa novel and unique head structure for a doll for supporting andretaining the denture in proper position to simulate a realisticdenture.

Heretofore, in the manufacture of dolls, simulated teeth have beenmolded integrally with the dolls head. However, in dolls made of softer,resilient materials, such as rubber or synethtic plastics, it is verydiflicult to mold a realistic, lifelike set of teeth within the dollsmouth. Such teeth molded integrally with the dolls head usually lack thesharp outline and enamel-like surface of real teeth.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dolls denture whichcan be inserted within the dolls mouth after the dolls head has beenformed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthstructure for a dolls head which will suitably accommodate and retainthe lifelike denture.

These and other objects are achieved in the present invention by theprovision of a dolls denture which takes the form of a curved, flexiblestrip simulating a set of front teeth. The dolls head is formed in theregion of the mouth with a formation which is disposed behind thesurface forming the rear wall of the appropriate lip but distincttherefrom, so that the curved denture strip can be inserted in properposition between the rear wall of the upper lip and the formation withinthe mouth. In addition, in the particular embodiment of the inventiondescribed herein, the interior of the dolls head is provided with asuitable slit for receiving a projecting tab which extends from thecurved denture strip. This tab is provided with laterally projectingshoulders which are adapted to be inserted through the slit and, when soinserted, these shoulders serve to anchor the denture in place so as tomake it difficult to remove it from the dolls mouth. The denture somounted, when viewed through the opening forming the mouth of the doll,presents a realistic and lifelike appearance, particularly if thematerial selected for the dolls denture has a white, enamellike surface.

These and other objects will be apparent from an understanding of theinvention which is described below with reference to theaccompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the dolls denture of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view thereof;

Figure 3 is a general perspective view of the dolls head, with thedenture mounted therein; and

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken along thelines 44 and 55, respectively, of Figure 3, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Referring to Figure 3, a hollow dolls head 10, molded of rubber or otherflexible plastic material, such as a vinyl plastic, is formed with amouth cavity in which a curved, flexible strip 11 simulating an upperdenture is inserted. The denture strip 11, shown in Figures 1 and 2 ofthe drawing, is made of a white plastic material, preferably one havingan enamel-like surface, such as celluloid. The edge 12 forming thebiting edge of the denture is scalloped or corrugated to suggest atoothlike appearance. Slight depressions 13 are impressed in the frontsurface of the strip 11 to suggest the outlines of the individual teethconstituting the denture.

An upwardly projecting flat tab 14 is formed integrally with the rootedge 15 of the denture. The shank of the tab 14 is bent rearwardly andthen upwardly to form a rearward step 16. Thus, the upper end of the tabis offset slightly rearwardly from the denture strip. The extreme upperfree end of the tab 14 is formed with an enlarged tapered head 17,resembling an arrowhead, which is defined in part by shoulders 18projecting laterally from the side edges of the flat tab. The denturestrip 11 is accommodated within the upper portion of a mouth cavity 23and adjacent the front surface of an internal formation 19 which ismolded integrally with the inner surface of the dolls head surroundingthe mouth opening of the doll. The mouth opening, defined between theupper and lower lip formations 2t and 21, respectively, communicateswith the mouth cavity 23. The mouth cavity 23, in turn, is defined bythe convexly curved front surface of the formation 19 and the concavelycurved rear surfaces of the upper and lower lip formations.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the internal formation 19is essentially a partition which divides the mouth cavity 23 from thehollow interior of the dolls head. The front curved surface of thepartition formation 1h, when viewed through the mouth opening, suggestsa tongue. It should be understood, however, that from the standpoint ofproviding a suitable mounting for the denture of the present invention,it is not essential that the formation 19 be visible through the mouthopening or that it close 01f the mouth cavity from the hollow interiorof the dolls head.

The dolls denture 11 is inserted in place through the mouth openingformed between the upper and lower lips 20 and 21, respectively. Theupper tapered arrowhead 17 is first introduced into the cavity 23 andthen inserted through a slit 1% formed at the upper end of the mouthcavity 23, which slit establishes a passage between the mouth cavity andthe hollow interior of the dolls head. Thus, when the arrowhead end ofthe tab is inserted through the slit, it passes into the hollow interiorof the dolls head. When in proper position, the stepped portion 16 ofthe shank of the tab is disposed within the slit, with the pressure ofthe edges or surfaces defining the slit acting on opposite sides of thetab shank, thereby holding the denture securely in place. As best shownin Figure 5, the normal curvature of the denture strip '11 is not quiteas pronounced as the curvature of the cavity 23. Therefore, when theflexible denture strip 11 is inserted within the mouth cavity, theinherent resiliency of the strip causes the extreme ends of the frontsurface of the denture strip 11 to abut against the rear surface of theupper lip 29 and the rear surface of the denture strip intermediate theends to abut against the front surface of the formation 19. This action,supplemented by the locking action of the shoulders 18, helps to preventaccidental removal of the denture from the mouth cavity.

The dolls head illustrated in the drawing is intended to accommodateonly a single upper denture. Generally speaking, in a smiling doll thiswill sufiice to aiford the desired appearance to the dolls face. It isunderstood, however, that if it is desired to embody a lower denture,the denture can be mounted in the same way as in the case of the upperdenture, using the denture strip 11 in inverted position.

It is apparent that if the tab-like extension 14 is sufficiently rigid,the tapered head 17 may be forced through the upper end of the internalformation 19 to produce the slit therein. If the slit is so formed, theinherent resiliency of the material of the dolls head will cause theslit to contract somewhat so that the head Will not be readily withdrawnthrough the slit due to the laterally projecting shoulders. Accidentalremoval of the denture may also be prevented by cementing the portion ofthe tab which extends through the slit into the interior of the dollshead to the interior surface of the dolls head.

The invention has been shown in a single preferred form and by way ofexample only, and obviously many modifications and variations may bemade therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Forexample, it is understood that the head 17 of the extension 14 may be ofvarious other configurations in addition to the arrowhead shape. Also,if desired, the space between the rear wall of the lip 20 and the frontsurface of the formation 19 may be normally disposed so closely togetheras to coact to produce a wedging action on the denture in order toassist in holding it tightly in place. It is understood, therefore, thatthe invention is not to be limited to any specified form or embodiment,except in so far as such limitations are set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A denture for a doll comprising a curved flexible strip simulating afront set of teeth, said strip being defined by a corrugated biting edgeand an opposite root edge, a tab formed integrally with the root edge ofthe flexible strip, said tab including a flat shank portion, a taperedhead formed at the end of said shank portion remote from the flexiblestrip, said tapered head being defined in part by shoulders projectinglaterally from the edges of said shank portion of the tab, and arearwardly disposed step formed in the shank portion of the tab remotefrom the head and in proximity to the flexible strip, whereby the upperend of the tab is offset rearwardly from the flexible strip.

2. In a hollow dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, thecombination of upper and lower lip formations defining a mouth openingtherebetween, a partition wall behind the mouth opening and formedintegrally with the inner surface of the dolls head surrounding themouth opening, a mouth cavity communicating with said mouth opening anddefined by substantially concavely curved rear surfaces of the lipformations and the substantially convexly curved front surface of the.partition wall, said partition wall separating the said mouth cavityfrom the hollow interior of the dolls head, means defining a slitbetween the upper portion of said mouth cavity and the hollow interiorof the dolls head, a flexible strip simulating a front set of teethinsertable within said upper portion of said mouth cavity, a tabconnected to said strip and insertable through said slit, said tab beingformed with an enlarged tapered end at a distance from said flexiblestrip which forms outwardly projecting shoulders to resist removal ofthe tab from the slit once it is inserted therein.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said said tab is formedwith a flat shank portion between the flexible strip and the enlargedtapered end, said flat shank being stepped rearwardly between theflexible strip and the enlarged tapered head, which stepped portion isreceived within the said slit to permit the means defining the slit topress against the shank portion of the tab from opposite sides.

4. In a dolls head, molded of resilient plastic material, a mouthopening defined by simulated lips, an internal formation behind the rearsurface of at least one of said lips and extending across but spacedbehind the mouth opening, said internal formation being joinedintegrally with the dolls head remote from the mouth opening, said rearsurface of the lip and the front surface of the internal formationdefining a mouth cavity therebetween, said mouth cavity tapering in adirection away from the internal formation and the dolls head, the frontsurface of the internal formation 'being convexly curved and the rearsurface of the lip in front of the internal formation being concavelycurved, said surfaces defining a curved mouth cavity from one sidethereof to the other, and a flexible strip simulating a dentureaccommodated within said curved, tapering mouth cavity between the rearsurface of the lip and the front surface of said internal formation.

5. In a dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, the combinationset forth in claim 4, wherein the strip includes an edge whichcorresponds to a biting edge of the teeth, and including means connectedto the flexible strip remote from the edge thereof defining the bitingedge for holding the flexible strip within the mouth cavity.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means connectedto the flexible strip remote from said biting edge comprises aprojecting tab, said combina tion also including means defining a slitin communication with said mouth opening, into which the tab may beinserted to maintain the flexible strip within the mouth cavity.

7. In a hollow dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, thecombination of upper and lower lip formations defining a mouth openingtherebetween, means defining a wall within the dolls head and spacedapart behind the mouth opening, the peripheral portions of the said wallmeans being joined integrally with the interior surface of the dollshead, said wall means being of the same resilient plastic material asthe material of the dolls head, the interior surfaces of the lipformations and the opposite surface of the wall means definingtherebetween a mouth cavity which communicates with the mouth opening,means defining a slit between the mouth cavity and the hollow interiorof the dolls head, a flexible strip simulating a denture accommodatewithin the mouth cavity, a tab connected to the denture and insertablethrough the slit, and laterally projecting shoulders carried by the taband spaced apart from the denture which, when inserted through the slitfrom the mouth cavity, resist removal of the denture from the mouthcavity.

8. The combinationset forth in claim 7 including a rearwardly disposedstep formed in said tab between the denture and the laterally projectingshoulders, said step being defined between spaced apart reverse bendsinthe tab, the rearwardly stepped portion of the tab being accommodatedwithin the slit to resist removal of the denture.

9. A denture for a doll comprising a curved flexible strip simulating afront set of teeth, said strip being defined by a corrugated biting edgeand an opposite root edge, a tab formed integrally with the root edge ofthe flexible strip, said tab including a flat shank portion, and ataperedhead formed at the end of said shank portion remote from theflexible strip, said tapered head being defined in part by shouldersprojecting laterally from the edges of said shank portion of the tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,689,925 Marcus Oct. 30, 1928 1,782,433 Marcus Nov. 25, 1930 1,916,578Marcus July 4, 1933

